Suns, Sonics set NBA record for 3-pointers

PHOENIX (AP) -- It was an unofficial turn-back-the-clock night in
Phoenix, to the days when everybody in the NBA loved to run and
shoot, and nobody played much defense.

Ray Allen made a 30-footer at the second-overtime buzzer to
break the NBA record for most combined 3-pointers in a game, giving
the Seattle SuperSonics a 152-149 victory over the Phoenix Suns on
Sunday night in the league's highest-scoring game in 11 years.

"When I was open, I just knew it was time to make a shot,"
Allen said.

The teams combined for 32 3-pointers, breaking the mark of 31
set by Toronto and Philadelphia on March 13, 2005. The 301 points
were the most in a game since Dallas beat Houston 156-147 in two
overtimes on April 11, 1995, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

It was the first 150-point game in the NBA since the Los Angeles
Clippers beat Toronto 152-120 on March 15, 1998.

Allen scored 42, including 8-of-16 3s, and Luke Ridnour a
career-high 30 as the Sonics snapped a four-game losing streak and
handed Phoenix its first home loss in seven games. Thirty-two of
Allen's points came after the third quarter.

"One thing about Ray Allen, at some point he's going to make
shots," Sonics coach Bob Hill said.

In the first three quarters, Allen made 4-of-15 shots and was
0-for-6 on 3s. In the fourth quarter and two overtimes, he was
10-for-13, 8-for-10 on 3s.

"He was obviously unbelievable," the Suns' Steve Nash said.
"He just got in rhythm. I don't think it mattered what kind of
look he got, he was just making shots."

Allen said he was upset with himself for his play through three
quarters.

But, he said, "as a shooter, I always got to keep shooting
it."

Shawn Marion had 37 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots,
and Raja Bell scored a career-best 31 for the Suns. Nash had 28
points and 16 assists.

Bell's 18-footer with 11 seconds to play tied it at 149 and
Boris Diaw fouled Rashard Lewis with 2.5 seconds to play. The
Sonics weren't in the penalty, so they took the ball out of bounds.

Two defenders followed Rashard Lewis toward the baskket, so
Ridnour inbounded the ball to Allen at midcourt. Allen dribbled
once and let it fly from far beyond the top of the key.

"How do you explain a guy knocking down a 30-some footer to win
a game," Bell said. "It's not really luck, but it's a tough thing
to explain. It just happens."

The Sonics improved to 3-7 since coach Bob Weiss was fired and
replaced by Hill.

"It's a very, very good win for us," Hill said. "I hope it's
a breakthrough win for us, and we can build from this."

Lewis had shots blocked by Marion at the end of regulation and
Kurt Thomas at the end of the first overtime.

After a 24-second violation against Seattle with 14 seconds to
play in the first overtime, the Suns had a chance to win it. But
Ridnour knocked the ball loose from Nash, and the Suns' playmaker
hit it last as it went out of bounds.

Lewis worked the baseline, but Thomas blocked his shot at the
rim as the buzzer sounded.

Allen's 3-pointer, over Nash, put Seattle ahead 126-124 with 4.4
seconds remaining. After a timeout, Bell threw inbounds to Diaw,
who hit Nash for the game-tying reverse layup over Allen with 1.6
seconds to go.

Marion blocked Lewis' 16-foot attempt at the buzzer.

Marion had given the Suns a 124-123 lead with a breakaway stuff
after a Seattle turnover with 15 seconds to go. But after a
timeout, a defensive switch put the much smaller Nash on Allen, and
the Seattle star stepped back to make his fifth 3-pointer in 11
tries. It began a string of four 3s in five attempts.

"I thought we definitely started off sloppy," Phoenix coach
Mike D'Antoni said. "It took us a while for whatever reason. We
played a heck of a game and fought back. We battled shot for
shot."

Down by 13 twice in the first half, the Suns got it going in the
third quarter, making 12 of their first 14 shots, including 7-of-7
3-pointers. They matched by Ridnour, though, who was 7-for-7
shooting his 16-point third quarter.

Game notes

A pair of French players were lifted from their usual
starting spots, Phoenix's Diaw and Seattle's Johan Petro. ... The
Suns leave Monday for Orlando to start an eight-game road trip,
their longest of the season. ... Phoenix is 0-4 in games that last
two overtimes or longer. ... The 152 points was third most in
franchise history for Seattle while the 149 was fifth best for the
Suns.